Hispanic veterans may become stars of Texas museum

Hispanic veterans may be lauded with own museumFacility, likely to be in San Antonio, will highlight feats, contributions of Latinos in military

GUILLERMO CONTRERAS, San Antonio Express-News

Published 5:30 am, Sunday, June 3, 2007

SAN ANTONIO — They have been left out of documentaries, history books and movies, but if a grass-roots proposal gets off the ground, Latino veterans would be immortalized in San Antonio.

A committee of Hispanic veterans and others announced plans Friday for a 21,500-square-foot facility that would highlight the accomplishments and contributions of Hispanics in the military.

If it becomes reality, the National Hispanic Military Heroes Museum would exhibit 42 Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients, Latino admirals and generals, astronauts, fighter pilots, female veterans and the "Aztec Eagles," pilots and support personnel from Mexico who were vital in World War II, also known as El Escuadrón 201, among other exhibits.

The museum also would recognize "everyday" Latino veterans, according to a preliminary proposal.

The projected cost is about $17 million, although the proposal also calls for finding an existing structure or land, said Virgil Fernandez, head of the committee.

If all goes well, the museum could open in four to five years.

The group has no money in hand. Committee members will be approaching local, regional and national corporations and foundations for donations, said Fernandez, a San Antonio Navy veteran who wrote a book in 2006 called Hispanic Military Heroes.

"Here we are in 2007, and if you look at different museums, we're mentioned as a footnote," said Fernandez, a disabled-veterans outreach coordinator for the Texas Workforce Commission from 1987 to 1996, and a radio and television news reporter in San Antonio in the 1970s and early 1980s. "We're much more than footnotes."

Idea is 'very critical'

Fernandez said he and retired Army Maj. Gen.
Alfred Valenzuela
, who led the
U.S. Army South
, which moved from Puerto Rico to Fort Sam Houston, and others discussed the idea for a museum in November as an offshoot of Fernandez's book and other efforts to recognize Latino veterans.

The controversy surrounding Ken Burns' forthcoming PBS documentary on veterans of World War II, which initially made no mention of Latino veterans, brought the museum proposal to the forefront.

"We've been instrumental in war and peace. We've had generals and admirals," Valenzuela said. "We've all contributed. The idea of a museum is very critical."

"We were discussing where was the best place to have this museum, and we agreed that San Antonio is Military Town USA, and we've had a lot of our Medal of Honor recipients from San Antonio," said Morales, of Fort Worth, who is on the museum's organizing committee.

Fernandez met last month with Edward Benavides, executive assistant to City Manager Sheryl Sculley, to see whther the city might be able to donate, or sell at low cost, surplus land or a building for the museum.